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I've never been a Starbucks junkie...I have a hard time paying $3.75 for a Latte. I bought my little Krups machine in December of 1992 and I wound up making 2 Mugs of super strength coffee every mornining. I would buy my beans whole from Trader Joes...a local discount gourmet shop...now spreading through out the USA. I liked the flavor of the beans from different parts of the world.

As I said after looking I found the Salvatore....I guess part of the cachet is that it's a Handmade machine...that is apparently durable and it will do what I want it to do...plus Lattes and Capacinos.etc. Now I have to say a good part of my decision was based upon reading reviews on the mainline Italian manufactured machines... there was always some negative point made about them...and the tone of Whole Latte Love description of way the Salvatore was made and it's attributes..The Salvatore Automatic is expensive and it has taken me awhile to breakdown and say OK I'll buy it....but it isn't the most expensive home machine out there either. I think it represents good value for the money, yet how much is a cup of coffee really worth?

The gal at Salvatore convinced me to buy the Semi Automatic over the Automatic....their thinking is that you have to stand at the machine anyway...so what if you have to measure your own water, rather than have the machine do it. Again you only have to pay attention for 30 to 40 seconds. They feel that people are enamoured of the electronic aspects of measured water, and thats why they offer that option. They also feel there is less to go wrong with the Semi Auto machine. Their sales run 50/50 between the Auto and Semi...and that WLL is pushing the Auto for obvious reasons.

Finially the only places to purchase A Salvatore is through the manufacturer or WLL...and their association with WLL started in February/ March of 2003.